Michelin-Star Chefs Make a Grand Meal at Adega in San Jose

By, SAL PIZARRO | spizarro@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group

Five chefs from Michelin-starred Portuguese restaurants celebrate following dinner service during the San Jose Michelin All-Star Experience at Adega restaurant in San Jose on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. From left, David Costa and Jessica Carreira from Adega; Pedro Lemos from Pedro Lemos in Porto, Portugal; George Mendes of Aldea in New York City; and Alexandre Silva of Loco in Lisbon. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)

San Jose’s had its share of memorable dining experiences, but it’s hard to imagine one that beats the culinary and cultural showcase this week at Adega. The East San Jose restaurant hosted chefs from three other Michelin-starred restaurants specializing in Portuguese cuisine for three seven-course, wine-paired meals.

Joining Adega’s David Costa and Jessica Carreira were George Mendes of Aldea in New York City; and AlexandreSilva of Loco in Lisbon; and Pedro Lemos from his namesake restaurant in Porto, Portugal. Nearly 100 diners took part in the San Jose’s Michelin All-Star Experience on Tuesday and Thursday, paying $375 a seat, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting No Kid Hungry — a national campaign by the nonprofit Share Our Strength to end childhood hunger.

A third dinner was held Wednesday for more than a dozen food and travel writers, who ventured to San Jose from New York, Los Angeles and Portugal, as well as VIPs including Mayor Sam Liccardo and his wife, Jessica Garcia-Kohl; Councilman Raul Peralez and his wife, Victoria Ramirez; Team San Jose CEO Karolyn Kirschgesler; SVCreates CEO Connie Martinez; Team San Jose board member Michael Mulcahy and his wife, Kimberly Mulcahy; Goodwill Silicon Valley CEO Michael E. Fox Jr.; and Annabel Chang, Alaska Airlines’ Bay Area vice president.

The idea for the dinner came to Carlos Carreira, who owns Adega with his wife, Fernanda, during a Team San Jose trip to New York, where Costa and Jessica Carreira got the opportunity to share the kitchen at Aldea with Mendes.

“Tonight is a celebration of the amazing experience we’ve had this year,” said Carlos Carreira, who gives all credit to his daughter for pushing them to open the restaurant on Alum Rock Avenue. “We decided to invited some other talented chefs who have worked Chef David in Portugal to come here for a week to help us showcase what Portuguese is all about.”

Like I said, it’s going to be hard to beat as a culinary event, but Carreira’s going to try as he hopes to turn the Michelin All-Star Experience into an annual event.